The 4EU+ Alliance, the University of Milan, and the creation of a European University

Five years after its foundation, the 4EU+ Alliance has become a "pivotal player in shaping the future of the European university system": this is the opinion of Prof. Antonella Baldi, Deputy Rector for Internationalisation of the University of Milan. 4EU+ is a European University alliance made up of eight public universities, whose mission is to build an integrated European university system. Chairmanship of the Alliance rotates on a yearly basis among its members, and has been held by our University since November 2023. We asked Prof. Baldi to take stock of these first years, to tell us more about our University's involvement in 4EU+, and to comment on the future of the Alliance. In her words, "4EU+ has made significant progress" and "has constantly lived up to its promise to promote close cooperation in the fields of education, research, innovation and public engagement".

In January 2024, 4EU+ turned 5 years old. Can we draw some first conclusions on the "innovative" model of European university proposed by the Alliance?

Since the very beginning, the 4EU+ Alliance has demonstrated a tangible commitment to pursuing its objectives and ambitions. With a view to creating innovative learning pathways and strengthening the ties between education and research, the Alliance has implemented 61 joint educational activities and made available more than 1,000 courses via its Student Portal. These efforts allowed for the launch of a new joint Master's degree programme in Migration Studies and New Societies — which is administratively based at the University of Milan — and two Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, one in Global Environment and Development and the other in European Environmental Economics and Policy. In addition to fostering several collaborations in the fields of education and research, 4EU+ has also contributed to implementing various training initiatives for young researchers, such as a series of webinars on Open Science, and a number of workshops linked to the four flagships of the Alliance. In 2023, the Alliance launched its first 4EU+ Visiting Professorship and SEED4EU+ calls, in order to enhance scientific cooperation between universities. Thanks to the second 4EU+ Visiting Professorship call, whose outcomes have been recently made public, 11 professors will have the chance to spend a teaching and research period at another university of the Alliance. The SEED4EU+ initiative, on the other hand, aims to fund European-wide collaborative projects with a strong potential for further development; applications for the second round of SEED4EU+ are currently open and will close on 30 September 2024. Last but not least, 4EU+ is working together with other European University alliances on projects to reinforce the European Higher Education Area and facilitate the introduction of European Degrees. To sum it up, 4EU+ has positioned itself as a pivotal player in shaping the future of the European university system, and its dedication and past accomplishments suggest promising times ahead for European academia as a whole. 

How did joining 4EU+ affect the education, research and public engagement activities of the University of Milan?

The Annual Meeting 2023, which was held in Milan and marked the beginning of the University of Milan's chairmanship, was entitled "Building Bridges: Becoming One European University". This title is emblematic of the journey that the University of Milan has embarked upon within the 4EU+ Alliance. The eight universities share a strong focus on multidisciplinary education and research, and are working towards common goals, for which a robust governance framework, resource-sharing and constant coordination between the Alliance and its members are nothing less than essential. 4EU+ is striving to implement a university system based on a shared set of core values, including academic freedom, equal access to higher education, and research excellence. These efforts have translated into concrete results, such as joint education initiatives, the sharing of tools and facilities, more scientific collaborations and higher student mobility rates (both incoming and outgoing). All of this had positive repercussions not only on research and education, but also on our public engagement activities, with which we aim to disseminate knowledge and promote critical thinking in the society.

What does chairing the Alliance entail, and what was the focus of our University's work during this year?

We took over the chairmanship in November 2023, right after the Annual Meeting in Milan. Chairing the 4EU+ Governing Board meant, first and foremost, being able to lead the process for establishing the Alliance's strategy, vision and ambitions for the next ten years. Having identified four intervention areas (education, research, innovation and outreach), we started consultations with the various 4EU+ stakeholders, i.e. its governance, working groups, Flagship Programme Committees and student representatives, in order to collect diverse opinions and perspectives. Over the past months, we have developed a roadmap with key milestones to achieve our strategic objectives, and a list of specific actions for each intervention area. With its usual collaborative approach, the University of Milan has made the most of its chairmanship to help design the 4EU+ Strategy 2025-2035. The strategy will be presented at the next Annual Meeting, which will take place in Warsaw from 25 to 27 September with the title Digital 4EU+ Education – Research – Cooperation. After the Annual Meeting, the University of Warsaw will take over the 4EU+ chairmanship for the next academic year, having as main challenges ahead the communication of the strategy and the identification of new interventions to further unlock its potential.